At UNSC, India's top diplomat highlights country's leadership in combating conflict-related sexual violence

NEW YORK: : India's commitment to the women, peace, and security agenda was underscored by its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, who articulated the country's comprehensive approach to addressing conflict-related sexual violence, emphasising the nation's dedication to international collaborations, national policy reforms, and grassroots initiatives.

The top Indian diplomat, Kamboj, was addressing an open debate on "Preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) through Demilitarisation and Gender-Responsive Arms Control" at the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Kamboj began by affirming India's multifaceted approach, stating, "Our nation's dedication to the women peace and security agenda is demonstrated through a comprehensive approach to combating conflict related sexual violence."

"This approach includes international collaborations, national policy reforms, and grassroots level initiatives. At the international level, India has contributed significantly to UN peacekeeping missions and has been very vocal about the need to incorporate gender perspectives into peace and security policies," she added.

Notably, the UNSC annual open debate on CRSV provides an opportunity for the member states to reflect on emerging themes. associated with the systematic use of sexual violence by state and non-state actors as a tactic of war, torture, and terrorism in armed conflicts.

Acknowledging India's contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, Kamboj proudly mentioned, "Indian female peacekeepers have played a crucial mentoring role in preventing conflict related sexual violence, and we also take immense pride that Major Suman Gawani was awarded the UN Military Gender Advocate of the year in 2019."

She also noted the crucial role played by Indian female peacekeepers in mentoring and preventing conflict-related sexual violence.

Furthermore, Kamboj highlighted India's proactive measures in supporting victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, saying, "India was also the first country to contribute to the Secretary-General's Trust Fund in support of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse." She said that the significance of India's signing of the voluntary compact on sexual exploitation and abuse with the Secretary General in 2017.

India's commitment to women's empowerment was evident in Kamboj's mention of the recent constitutional amendment.

"Recognising the pivotal role of empowered women as agents of change, the Indian government has very recently amended its constitution to reserve one third of the seats in national and state legislatures for women, underscoring their crucial contributions to peace and security."

During its presidency of the G20, Kamboj highlighted India's focus. women-led development, stating, "India had drawn the international community's attention to women led development with a focus on women's empowerment and gender equality." She also highlighted the establishment of the G20 Women's Empowerment Working Group as a significant step in advancing these goals.

Addressing the intersection of gender and conflict, Kamboj stressed the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 of 2000, stating, "One of the central aspects of this resolution was in addressing conflict-related sexual violence, a brutal weapon. frequently used against women during conflicts."

Kamboj concluded by reiterating the need for collaborative efforts, stating, "Combating conflict-related sexual violence demands a multifaceted strategy that integrates prevention, survivor support, perpetrator accountability, and societal change regarding gender-based violence.”